Safety panel box



H. F. KRANTZ.

SAFETY PANEL BOX.

APILICANON FILED AUG; 17

ww BY 1 1, ATTORNEY H. F. KRANTZ SAFETY PANEL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1917.

Patented June 20, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTORY a s )ecification.

UNITED srATas earl er OFFICE. -i 1.1

'HUBERT r. KRANTZ, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB'TO KRANTZ MANUFAC- roams COMPANY, me, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A conrona'rron or NEW YORK.

SAFETY PANEL 36X.

Application filed August 17, 1917. Serial-No. 186,661.

To all whom it concern Be it known that I, HUBnRrF. KaAN'rz,

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Safety Panel Box, of which the following is his invention relates to a safety panel box, such for instance asis shown in Patent No. 1,292,808 issued tome January 28, 1919.

The object of the present improvement is to provide means whereby the switch mechanism within the panel box may be locked againstoperation whenever desired.

-, A more detailed object is to provide a panel box having a switch mechanism arranged therein with an operating handle extending through the wall of the box, and to providekey-controlled lock means to posit-ively hold the switch mechanism against operation when desired.

A further object is to provide a panel box having an entrance door or guard member for giving access to certain parts witlnn the box, the box also having a switch mechanism therein, to ing the switch mechanism in one of its positions, and to provide means cooperative for positively locking the door closed when the switch mechanism is locked in the mentioned position. A further ob ect 1s to so associate the lock' with the switch mechanism as to be capable'of locking the switch mechanism in either its on or off posltlons, and further to so associate the lock with the door that when the switch mechanism is locked in I the on position, the door will be positively locked closed, and so that when the switch mechanism is in the off position the door may be opened or closed at will.

Other objects and aimsof the invention, more or less specific than those referred to description of 'theelements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of princlples,constituting the invention and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be talten as apart of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a pre-' ferred form of the embodiment of the inventioni provide means for positively lock- Figure: 1 is a vertical sectional view through a panel box constructed in accordance with this invention, parts being illus trated in elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fi 1, portions of the wall of the box being hroken away so as todisclose the arrangement of the parts within the box,andi Fi ure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectlona View taken substantially upon the plane of line III of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure which is illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1922.

size, shape and construction so as to provide an enclosure for the switch mechanism (lr, the switch contacts '1, and usually the fuse, or fuses 2. The top wall, as 3, of the box is provided with a door 4 which is preferably 1 hinged, as at 5, adapted to be opened when desired to give access into the box, for renewing the fuses or for other purposes.

The. switch mechanism G is substantially the same as that illustrated and described in Patent No. 14,498 reissued to me July 30,

1913, and comprises a switch blade 6 which isp votally mounted at 7 upon a frame or carrler 8. The carrier 8 is preferably fixed to the inner surface of thetop wall 3 of the box.

A switch handle 9 is arranged exteriorly of the box and is connected with the switch mechanism through an opening 10 formed in the top wall 3.

A plunger 11 is formed as a part of the switch mechanism. The particular manner of connecting this plunger in the switch mechanism-forms no part of the present invention. It is sufiicient to say that when the handle 9 is thrown: from an on position to an off position the plunger is projected toward the handle from the position shown I by dotted lines to the position shown by full lines in Figures 1 and 2. Also that it is impossible to throw the handle from the 01? position to the on position except by an connecting this plunger in the switch mechaccompanying movement of the plunger lie anisin is clearly illustrated and described in Patent No. 1,292,805 issued to me Jan.- 28, 1919, in which it will be seen that the plunger is connected at .the heel of a toggle, as 12, which toggle is positively connected with the switch blade to be made and broken by the movements or" the handle.

When the switch blade is in the on position current flows through the fuse 2, but when the switch blade is in the off position the fuse is dead. Thus, for the sake of safety, the door ll of the box should be positively held closed when the switch is on, but when the ssvitch is oil then the door mi ht be safely opened at will.

o accomplish this result, the door is furnished with a. suitable safety means, which, in the present instance, comprises first, a semi-circular retaining disc 13 which is connected to the door concentric with the pivot or hing-e 5, and second, a latch lat which is rotatably -carried by the door adjacent the :tree edge thereof and which is cooperatively associated the switch mechanism with through a link 15.

The disc 13 is arranged so that when the door is swung open a peripheral portion of the disc moves into the path of the plunger ll so that while the door stands open, it is impossible to throw the switch handle from the old to the *ozu position.

The latch it includes a handle 16 which projects through the door by means of which the latch may be turned from latching-to un' latching position. When in latching position a portion 17 of the latch engages beneath a ledge 18 of the box. The link 15 is connected to the latch by one of its ends and has its other end disposed in the path of the plunger 11 so that any outward movement of the plunger produces 3. corresponding movement of the link and results in mov ing the latch to latching position.

These two safety'features are more fully shown and in their presence the door must necessarily be closed in order to permit the outward move-; ment of the plunger which 18 required for an on position of the switch blade, and that the latch is also necessarily in latching position when the plunger is moved out.

The essential structural addition to the above described element, such as that shown at H, to lock the plunger in either its inner or its outer position in order to accomplish the objects set forth in the early paragraphs of this description.

The locking device H may be of any type or it may operate upon the plunger directly as shown, or it may 0 erate upon the plunger indirectly through tile other connected elements of the switch mechanism,

as preferred. As illustrated, however,

it includes a sliding described in the above mentioned Patent No. 1,292,808, and it is apparent that parts consists'of a locking.

the end of the bolt 19 is adapted to engage either in front of or behind the projection 21 accordin as the plunger is in its inner or outer position when the bolt is shot. The two positions are clearly indicated in Figures l and 2 of the drawings.

Preferably a separately formed key, as 22, is employed for sliding the bolt back and forth, and a housing 23 is arranged to receive the key as best seen in Figure 3. T he lobe 24. ofthe key cooperates with a portion, as 25,01 the bolt to move the bolt back and forth in a well understood manner.

Preferably a compression spring, as 26, is provided behind the bolt for holding the bolt normally in shot position as by this means it will be a prerequisite of the structure that the key 22 be used prior to ever operation of the switch handle, as the but 19 will at all times obstruct movement of the plunger except while the bolt is being held back by the key. A careless 6r unintentional operation of the switch handle will thus be avoided. j

ll hen the bolt is; inposition locking the switch mechanism ofi 'then the latch 14 may be manipulated and the door opened and closed at will.

When the bolt is'in position locking the switch mechanism on then it is also in position positively retaining the latch in latching position so that the door can not possibly be opened-except the bolt be withdrawn by the key 22. I

Here it should'be noted. that, when the switch is in the on position, except for the presence of the bolt locking the plunger out then the latch might readily move theplunger in and t ow the switch oil. This might be done by an unauthorized hand at an inopportune time and might occasion serious results, The neces sity for first unlocking the bolt with the key, however, places the responsibility in authorized hands and assures the desired results.

As many changes could be made in this be operated to construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the f0llowing claims, it is intended that all matter 120.

contained in the above'description or shown n the accom anying drawings, shall be in limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what; I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is r I 1. In a device of the class described comprising a box havin a switch mechanism therein and the box aving a door movable terpreted as illustrative onlyland not in a to give access thereinto, the door having retaining means, and'the switch mechanism having apart movable into two positions for rendering said retaining means effective or not efiective in accordance with the movements of the switch mechanism, the combination therewith of a lock device carried by the box including a locking member mov-v able into andout of: a position obstructing the movements of said mentioned portion of i the switch mechanism, and a key adapted to be inserted through an opening in the box for operating said locking member.

2. In a switch box, the combination with a switch, a door for aportion otthe casing, and means for interlocking the door with the switch to preclude opening the door while the switch is closed and closing the switch while the door is open, of means for normally locking the interlocking means, and means for unlocking the locklng means to permit the interlocked operation of the switch and door.

3. In as'witoh box, the combination with a switch, a door for a portion of the box, and means for interlocking the door with the switch to preclude opening the door while the switch is closed and closing the switch while the door is open, of means whereby the interlocking means is so normally held thatv a key must be inserted before opening or closing movement of the switch and door may be effected. I

4. In a switch box, the combination with a switch mechanism, a door movable to give access thereto, a retaining means for the door and a member movable into two'positions for rendering the retaining means effective in accordance with the movements of the switch.

mechanism, of a lock device mounted in the box and having a locking member movable into and out of a position normally obstructing the movements of the movable member, and a key for actuating the locking member before each movement of the switch mechanism,

5. In a switch box, the combination with a switch, a door for the box, and means for interlocking the door with the switch to preclude opening the door while the switch is by opening movement of the latch is pre} eluded so long as the switch is in closed position, of a key-actuated member normally preventing movementof theswitch' 8. In a switch box,'the combination with a switch, a door for the box and means for interlocking the door with the switch to re clude opening movement of the door w ile the switch is closed and closing movement of the switch while the door is open, of a key-actuated member normally preventing movement of the interlocking means.

9. In a switch box, the combination with a switch, a door for the box and a latch so interlocked with the switch that opening movement of the latch causes opening movement of the switch and closing movement of the switch causes closing movement of the latch, of a key-actuated member normally preventing movement of the switch from one opera tive, position to another.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses HUBERT F. KRANTZ, \Vitnesses:

GHARLESW. Hnssnn, ROBERT A. Mnnrnns, 

